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<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>Let me
share a personal experience concerning this train of thought. In Trimaris
is an individual named Roulant. If you have been to Pennsic or Gulf Wars
you know his work. He is the guy who carves those horns that are absolute
works of art. Roulant has been crafting this quality art in horn and
leather (if you have never seen his leather work you have missed some true
master pieces) for many, many years. In Trimaris, years back, I saw him
sitting in court wearing a belt of unfinished, untooled leather, simply a strip
of leather two inches wide. I chided him about it with something like "The
best leather worker in the SCA wears a belt of raw leather?" He responded
that is was his personal "statement" to the Trimarian laurels. In short,
he was stuffing it up their nose that his work was of master quality but they
could not find it in their hearts to include him in their exalted order.
As you can imaging, the laurels were resoundly offended and it was many years
before Roulant became a laurel. In fact he became a laurel because when
Mittion once again assumed the Trimarian throne he recognized Roulant's skill
and artistry and made him a laurel, thereby side stepping the laurel
community.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>I
relate this story only in that I feel if the archers have their "black sheep"
order/award for work done but gone unrecognized we are flaunting our displeasure
of the lack of adequate recognition in the face of those who could/would
recognize us. Thus I would be more in favor of an approach that made it
known to the "powers that be" the amount of work that goes into being TA MIC or
a skilled archer. I feel too many, including some archers, simply think
that at an event the archery range simply "appears". Add water, poof,
archery range! They do not see all the work done off site, pre event
making the targets. Then the setting of the range, the marshalling all day
long, the taking down of range and the carting home and recycling targets as
best possible or carting to trash dump. As in times past, no one gets good
at archery without lots of practice. How many are aware of the hours spent
on the practice range working on perfecting technique, making arrows, tuning
equipment, making bow strings, and practice, practice, practice. I still
hear the king of the East at Pennsic many years back, "I did not have a high
respect for archers but I decided, as king, I should learn archery. I now
have a deep respect for what you archers are able to do." A queen remarked
to me on numerous occasions she was amazed that I was able to hit a 4 inch wide
wand at 30 yards consistently. Again, had I just picked up a bow the week
before she would not have said that!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>I
believe we need to spread the aspect of how much goes into being a good archer
or good TA MIC for an event that happens behind the scenes and NOT at the
event. If fighters get awards and recognition for winning lysts, a product
of many hours at the pell and/or practice developing skill, then archers should
also be known for their same dedication. This can only happen through
education and that, as I see it, is our job.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=531153821-16092010><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>cog</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" dir=ltr>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
archers-bounces@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:archers-bounces@seahorse.atlantia.sca.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>fenrisulven@comcast.net<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 16, 2010 2:54
AM<BR><B>To:</B> loreleielkins@aol.com<BR><B>Cc:</B>
archers@atlantia.sca.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Archers] I'd like to point
out.....<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
color=black size=2 face=arial><FONT color=black size=2 face=arial><FONT
face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">
<DIV>Lorelei: <EM>Many of us have discussed on and off about the lack of
recognition -</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Maybe we can have some fun with it, to take the edge off?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Several of us have been competing to see who can accomplish the most
WITHOUT being recognized. Points are awarded for service, events/brackets won,
final eight at KA, champions team at Pennsic, highest current average score
per month, etc. A kingdom level award knocks you out of the running. We could
always extend it to include more archers.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Or perhaps award a quiver favour symbolizing a black sheep (The Blackened
Fleece?). When the bearer is finally recognized by the Crown, they must pass
it along to whoever they feel is most deserving. From a practical pov,
it could be used to spotlight those that have fallen through the cracks,
so the rest of us would know who to spam the Crown about.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Someone wiser than me once said: "If you're not having fun, you're
doing something wrong" </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Cheers</DIV>
<DIV>Fen</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>